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I have a 210mm A-Type and I only reset the bevel angle with only a Cholera 400, probably not the best choice since it is slow. It was really really hard work! I don't even want to think about thinning the whole side! Ow!

OP, you probably saw pics of KCMA's 270mm.

if it was KC's that was all done on stones... from the beston 500, to the bester 1200, to the naniwa super stones 5, 8, 10, and 12k. I remember that setup because we were working together at the same restaurant back then.

I'm hoping to get some advice on how to polish up my Aritsugu A-Type 240mm gyuto. This will be my first time doing so, and the knife is special to me so I'm a bit nervous about messing it up. I understand the basics of progression from course to fine grit wet/dry sandpaper, but am curious about a few things not mentioned in tutorials.

The markings on this blade look like they will rub right off with a sink sponge if I wanted them to. I'm looking to hopefully keep them intact during polishing. How do I go about doing this without leaving an area of the knife around the logo unpolished? I'm also wondering how long of a time to spend polishing with each grit level. Does anyone know from experience or educated guess what the Aritsugu proprietary semi stainless carbon polishes like? Do you think it would be possible to get a mirror-ish finish? Thanks again, this hobby and forum are becoming quite exciting for me!

To polish a knife effectively, you need to secure it to a surface, so it is stable. You can use a clamp of sorts. Because of a distal taper, you will need to shim the tang, so the knife lies flat on a surface.

A-type has a fairly wear resistant steel, so you would need to apply pressure on the blade to remove scratches. I don't think you can do it while holding the knife in your hand.

One of the best way to polish a knife is using a polishing block. It could be a piece of wood 16" long. In the middle you would want to glue some sort of padding - cork, rubber,leather, etc. Padding is essential for polishing.

Cut your paper in strips that are as wide as the padded area. Wrap the area with the strip and use a paper clip to fix paper in place.

With two hands on the block, you sand the knife in back-and-forth motions. A-Type is finished with vertical scratches, so you will need to put enough elbow grease to get the initial scratches out, and then to refine the horizontal scratches through a progression of grits.

Use glass cleaner to wet the paper, it will cut longer.

Be careful not to get too close to the cutting edge with your hands! If you have your knife elevated with edge of the knife over the edge of the elevation platform, if you slip, you might ram you hand, typically area of your palm of a big thumb, into the edge, sustaining a nasty cut. Been there a number of times.

A-type could benefit from thinning a lot. You might want to consider paying somebody to thin and refinish the blade, and spare yourself anxiety and aggravation (and possible injury).

Good luck.

M

"All beauty that has no foundation in use, soon grows distasteful and needs continuous replacement with something new." The Shakers' saying.

To polish a knife effectively, you need to secure it to a surface, so it is stable. You can use a clamp of sorts. Because of a distal taper, you will need to shim the tang, so the knife lies flat on a surface.

A-type has a fairly wear resistant steel, so you would need to apply pressure on the blade to remove scratches. I don't think you can do it while holding the knife in your hand.

One of the best way to polish a knife is using a polishing block. It could be a piece of wood 16" long. In the middle you would want to glue some sort of padding - cork, rubber,leather, etc. Padding is essential for polishing.

Cut your paper in strips that are as wide as the padded area. Wrap the area with the strip and use a paper clip to fix paper in place.

With two hands on the block, you sand the knife in back-and-forth motions. A-Type is finished with vertical scratches, so you will need to put enough elbow grease to get the initial scratches out, and then to refine the horizontal scratches through a progression of grits.

Use glass cleaner to wet the paper, it will cut longer.

Be careful not to get too close to the cutting edge with your hands! If you have your knife elevated with edge of the knife over the edge of the elevation platform, if you slip, you might ram you hand, typically area of your palm of a big thumb, into the edge, sustaining a nasty cut. Been there a number of times.

A-type could benefit from thinning a lot. You might want to consider paying somebody to thin and refinish the blade, and spare yourself anxiety and aggravation (and possible injury).

Good luck.

M

Does anybody have a picture of how successfully you have held your knife down/camping.? I've tried a couple of ways and while they've worked it continues to be very awkward.. Perhaps it's just the way it is?

I'd do it over time by thinning for a while when I was sharpening. If you're going to hand rub the finish I'd knock the handle off and clamp it to a board per marko's suggestion. Have the edge of the knife in line with the edge of the board, likewise the tip. Then work through the grits, I'd start about 100 and then go as high as you want with micromesh.